Pilot Study for a Prospective Surveillance Program for Rehabilitation Following Surgery for Breast Cancer

University of British Columbia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Prospective Surveillance Group; Behavioral: Education Group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02754427

H12-01773

Details and patient eligibility

About

Breast cancer treatment often results in long-term arm morbidity. A prospective surveillance model with arm assessment pre-surgery followed by ongoing surveillance and targeted physiotherapy treatment after breast cancer surgery may improve early detection and management of arm morbidity. This study aims to determine the effect of prospective surveillance to target physiotherapy on the prevalence of arm morbidity in the surveillance group compared to control group at 12-months after breast cancer surgery.

Enrollment: 41 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 30 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age 30-75 years; receiving surgery for breast cancer, including those who will have immediate breast reconstruction.

Exclusion criteria

• prior breast cancer surgery; a pre-existing shoulder pathology on the side of breast surgery that limits shoulder range of motion <75% of non-affected side; or a diagnosis of primary lymphedema

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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41 participants in 2 patient groups

Prospective Surveillance Group

Experimental group

Description:

Women assigned to surveillance group were assessed for arm morbidity at pre-surgery and at 3, 6, and 9 months post-surgery. If arm morbidity was detected at any time-point post-surgery, then a physiotherapy intervention was prescribed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Prospective Surveillance Group

Education Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the education group received the usual post-operative follow-up.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Education Group